A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device having a changing multiple selection set bonus scheme, and more particularly to a gaming device wherein a player predicts which one of a plurality of multiple selection sets includes a randomly determined selection.
Gaming machines such as slot machines currently provide bonus schemes wherein a player has one or more opportunities to select one or more symbols from a plurality of possible symbols. If the player selects one of the designated winning or symbols or a winning combination of symbols, the game awards the player a credit or bonus value. The outcome depends upon the particular symbol or symbols obtained by the player. If the player selects a terminating symbol, the game terminates. Other various bonus games have been associated with gaming machines. To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide new bonus games for gaming devices.
The present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus scheme in which the player predicts whether a selection randomly determined by the gaming device will be in one of a plurality of selection sets. The selection sets preferably change after each determination. The player obtains a bonus award for each correct prediction. If the player is incorrect, the bonus round terminates. If the player is correct, a predetermined number of times without being incorrect, the player wins a relatively large bonus award.
One preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a gaming scheme wherein the player is asked to predict if a number determined by the gaming device will be in a first or high selection set or a second or low selection set. The high and low selection sets are determined based on a number previously determined by the gaming device. If the player selects correctly, the player is awarded credits. If the player is incorrect, the bonus round preferably terminates. This embodiment preferably includes three display areas. The display areas include a first or select number display, a second or match number display and a credit display area. Two selection buttons or indicators are also provided to enable the player to select the high selection set or low selection set.
In this preferred embodiment, the game uses numbers 1 through 12 to form the high and low selection sets. Preferably, either a 12 or a 1 used as the first select number, where the probability that either a 12 or a 1 is selected is equal (i.e., the player has a fifty percent chance that the game will display a 12 as the select number and a fifty percent chance that the game will display a 1 as the select number). This arrangement guarantees that the player will receive a bonus or credits on the first play of the bonus round because there are no selections or numbers in a high selection set and numbers 1 to 11 are in the low selection set. The gaming device displays or exhibits the select number in the select number display.
The object of the game for the player is to predict whether the match number will be in the first or second selection sets. In this embodiment, the numbers in the first selection set are higher than the select number currently displayed and the numbers in the second selection set are lower than the select number currently displayed. The player makes a prediction, registering or inputting their prediction using select buttons. The gaming device randomly determines the match number and whether the match number is in the higher or first selection set. If the match number is higher than the select number, the gaming device determines whether the player made the correct prediction. If the player made the correct prediction, the gaming device awards a bonus or credit to the player. Preferably, the game then uses the match number as the select number for the next determination and repeats the process until the player makes an incorrect selection or makes a predetermined number of correct selections. The first or high selection set and the second or low selection set change based on the new select number. In this example, the high selection set includes all of the numbers above the new select (i.e., to 12) and the low selection set includes all of the numbers below the new select number (i.e., to 1). Preferably, the match number cannot be the same as the select number and therefore, the select number is not in either selection set. Accordingly, after each determination, the selection sets change. If the player did not make the correct prediction, the bonus round terminates. It should be appreciated that the numbers in the selection sets could vary and the selection sets could include suitable symbols or objects.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device having a changing multiple selection set bonus scheme.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.